Anhui TC: DP Students' Problems and The Solutions

By Wang Jiling

I. The students' facts
　　There're all together 15 regular DP students in Anhui TC. Their education backgrounds vary from high school graduates to postgraduates in which high school graduates total 33.33%, secondary school graduates 26.66%, college graduates 33.33% and postgraduates 6.66%. Their entrance examination scores are at average around or under 60 points. Their ages are different in three ways: 40.00% of them were born in 1960s, 33.33% in 1970s and 26.66% in 1980s.i.e. all together about 73% of the students are aged between at least 32 to at most 42 years old. These students are not without successful achievements in their career. They are highly paid for their job and intoxicated in their high positions. However, 60% of the total are greatly involved in their work by always going out on business. Some of them have to be regularly out on business for at least two weeks. One student called Zhao Ming has to travel to Guangzhou for two weeks every month. He thinks that his English is poor and he is also afraid that if he fails to come to the tutorial every other week, he will be left behind and never catch up. So, he asks his wife to attend the tutorial whenever he is out in Guangzhou. When he is back, he will ask his wife for the notes and practice listening and speaking with the help of his wife (his wife's English is much better ). According to a survey, about 70% students can not guarantee 3 hours for their everyday studying. They try to work hard at their learning and try to finish a variety of readings, listening and other assignments. The factors like their ages and studying time affect completing their tasks to a great degree. They argue that if they fail to be active in class, it does not mean that they are cheating. In reality, they have tried their best. The only problems lie in their poor English knowledge, their relatively old age and their marked lack of studying time. They still argue that they really want to learn English well so that they can improve their comprehensive quality and in doing so they can work with more convenience. They even say that if they were dropped out because of their failure of completing the tasks, they would continue working at the textbooks for they appreciate Active English very much. They don't care much about the diploma. They just want to learn.

II. The students' motivation
　　With their great achievements in their careers, the students possess quite different motivation which are very difficult to define. They don't seem to have the instrumental motivation with which they "may make efforts … for some functional reason --- to pass an examination, to get a better job, or to get a place at university" (Rod Ellis 2000). They don't seem either to have integrative motivation with which they learn foreign language "because they are interested in the people and culture represented by the target language group" (Rod Ellis 2000). Their motivation is rather complicated. Their motivation is to some extent similar to resultative motivation which is greatly based on their success in their careers. Their success in their careers more or less motivates them to learn a foreign language such as English as is very popular currently. They learn English not just for being in fashion, but for enjoying their life better and working with more convenience and what's more, for getting something to do so that they don't think they are just idling time away. With this motivation, their English language learning turns out to be an active one rather than a passive one. Even though the learning will prove a challenge to them because they know very little English, they will never give up the learning very easily.

III. The students' problems and the solutions
A. The first tutorial on Learning Support Handbook
　　In the first tutorial, the students were very excited and encouraged as they were satisfied with their completion of their first assignment. Everyone became brightened with the dreaming of their promising future of learning English. After working at Learning Support Handbook, they appeared to have taken grip of the key to learning English. Their first task was a great project. Yet, they could manage to finish it. The only reason was that the handbook was written in Chinese --- their mother tongue. They could understand whatever they had been reading to almost the full sense except some minus questions. They had no crucial problems in this first period. In a word, they had a very good beginning.

B. The first English tutorial
1) The problem
　　Before the first tutorial on the English courses, as the tutor, I watched Mr. Xu Xin's class for several times since I myself were full of excitements and full of worries as well. I still remembered the students' excitement and their hopefulness. I thought the task-based approach must be acceptable to them. I designed my tutoring in Mr. Xu Xin's way by reading carefully both the textbooks and workbooks. I nearly had a sleepless night as I had to stay up late so as to make everything well arranged.

　　The next day when the first student shew up, he started to complain about the tasks. When everyone turned up, I came to know their problem, i.e. they didn't know what to do with the books and how to fill the learning card out. I couldn't carry out my plan because nearly all of them failed to fulfil their tasks. They felt fairly confused about the 7 books, including the Phonetics. One or two students turned in their assignment and learning cards. As they did not know how to do the learning cards, they just put "something" in the forms. Since they could not understand what they were reading, they just wrote an "essay" in order to guarantee that they could hand in their assignment on time so as to avoid punishment. What's more, the "essay" was full of grammatical mistakes and Chinese sentences..

2) The solution to the problem
　　In order to prepare the students well for the later job, I changed my plan by analysing the workbooks and the respective textbooks. We took for example the first units of the three sets of books following the order of Comprehensive English, Enrichment Reading and Interactive English. For instance, in working out together how to use Comprehensive English books, we started from the workbook trying to find out the relationship of the workbook and the learning cards. The students were very happy to find out the same arrangements in both the workbook and learning cards. Then, they were asked to read in group the first passage in the first unit paragraph by paragraph. They were feeling greatly surprised to see how effectively they had been working by following the directions given in both the workbook and textbook. After this, they were asked to fill the learning cards individually. Then we moved on to Enrichment English and then to Interactive English. Even though we had finished only one unit , the students felt more encouraged. They all offered to re-read the two units and re-do the learning cards and even the assignment. They promised to hand in all these the next or before the next tutorial.

C. The second problem and the solution
1) The problem
　　Problem came one after another. When we gathered in the Sound Lab again, I went on to organize the tutorial in the same way: trying to involve the students in discussing. To my surprise, after giving a clear and fluent direction, I got no response from them. They all looked at me with their eyes widely open. I wondered if my instruction was not clear. I explained again they should do. This time I got a better answer. They were observing me smiling shyly and shaking their heads slowly. The only postgraduate, the oldest student in DP class, explained to the effect that they hadn't touched English for a very long time and that they just could not catch me. They had to a variety of reasons for their silence: a. they could read the writings but they didn't know how to express the ideas in their own words; b. they felt that two units were too much for such "beginners" as them. They just managed to finish the assignments; c. there were so large quantity of new words and expressions. They had spent a lot of time in consulting dictionary --- almost every student preferred e-dictionary. Their preference led to their incomplete understanding the writings; d. they had a very poor pronunciation and had never taken risk to speak in front of others.

　　It was clear that if I insisted on my way, I would be wasting their time.

2) The solution
　　I changed my plan by applying Problem-Based Approach (PBA), asking them to put forward in both Chinese and English their problems about understanding the texts of Unit Three starting from Comprehensive English. Then we worked together on the problems. I based myself on the problems and redesigned questions around their problems for them to talk about in groups. After discussion, reporter of each group gave the result of their discussing. As we were sure about the general meaning of the text, we began working on the new words and expressions. Since they did not get book dictionary, I did the most part of the job.

　　When we came to the end of the tutorial, I suggested them speaking or reading aloud when they were doing the tasks so as to grow the feelings of language. In doing so, they could develop a habit of speaking English in public.

D. The third problem and the solution
1) The problem
　　Although we solved problem of understanding and opening mouth, we could not fulfill the tasks for each tutorial. In addition, the students needed some time to get accustomed to Task-Based Learning as they were used to Traditional Approach which centered teacher rather than students. Therefore, PBA was not enough at that moment to start the students to discuss at the very beginning of tutorials. They still felt difficult to speak English, even the simplest.

2) The solution
　　For this problem, I changed the order of the courses. We started from Interactive English. Speaking and listening is not easy to do. On the contrary, it is the hardest for the learners of English as foreign language. Yet, the materials are not long and tough. Additionally, the contents of the materials are more or less connected with those of both Comprehensive English and Enrichment English. We took this part as review and warming-up for the other two courses. When the students were getting started and prepared, they could transfer to the discussion of the later courses very smoothly.

　　With several times of practicing, the students found that they could start discussing of the texts in Comprehensive English and Enrichment English without any preparation. At last, we could follow the order planned by the Institute of Online Education. Both the students and I felt more encouraged and more confident. For the first time, I developed the sense of achievement.

IV. The power of the tutorials in the eye of DP students
A. Facilitator
　　The students felt very grateful for Anhui TC. They reflected that whatever kind of questions they have, they can turn to and depend on the center. Through working together, they can get the answer to any question they thought very difficult before coming to the center.

B. Cheer-leader
　　Because about 70% of the students take the principal position or have to be out on business very often, they always miss the tutorials. After one or two absences, they almost lose their heart to go on the courses. Once they came to the tutorial, they became encouraged again and continued the DP course. They said, "Even if we could not get the diploma or would fail in the first exam, we would still keep on. The textbooks are so interesting and up to date, and the center is so helpful. If only we carried on, sooner or later we would finish the DP course and more or less we could improve our English."

V. The suggestion
A. The students' suggestion
　　They strongly suggest that if the Institute of Online Education could establish 4-year course so that they could have less tasks and manage to completely do their autonomous study and try to be active in class. And therefore they could learn more effectively. The reason is that it is fairly difficult for them to complete two units within two weeks. Once they get something they have to deal with, they will leave behind two units. The mountain of work will appear more difficult for them to finish in the limited time. On and on, they will become totally disheartened and will be forced to give up at last. If they were allowed to complete one unit within two weeks, they would feel less burdened and could finish the task at more ease. Even if they missed one or two tutorials, they could manage to make up more easily. They stressed that they take the online course for improving themselves not for the diploma.

B. My suggestions
　　Through my working with the students and studying the courses, I came to the same idea. If we did not try to make students learn effectively, the students would sooner or later be dropped out. In this way, how could we popularize the distance education? And how could we improve the civilization of our whole nation?My suggestions are as follows:

　　1) We should do some detailed introduction to how to work on the textbooks,
　　　workbooks and how to work out the learning cards or we may spare the tutorial
　　　after the one on Learning Support Handbook for detailed analysis on the
　　　relationship among the textbooks, workbooks and learning cards.

　　2) We may allocate the units in the way from the smallest quantity to a larger one. In
　　　other words, we may have one unit at the beginning 1/2 tutorials of the semester.
　　　When the students get used to working on the online education course, we may
　　　enlarge the quantity. According a survey, I am sure the students will not feel
　　　confused and they can work with more efficiency.

　　3) We may design a 4-year DP course so that students have more choices. Adult
　　　students are adults. They have quite different aptitude for learning language and
　　　motivation for learning online course from the campus teenage students.
　　　Meanwhile, they have various involving with their work and social relations.

　　4) We may arrange a period of time of each tutorial devoted only to the Phonetics.
　　　Students are in want of the knowledge of pronunciation and intonation. They also
　　　need practicing regularly and systematically.